1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to mops and deals more specifically with improvements in sponge mops.
2. Prior Developments
Floor cleansing and polishing has constituted a dreaded chore. Some continued to resort to the time honored methods of the past which included assiduous scrubbing with a brush and bucket on one's hands and knees. In the more recent past, such method has been considered a practice which has virtually outlived its days.
By far, the majority of workers whose tasks in either a commercial or residential housekeeping setting involved floor cleaning have utilized, at the least, an ansate adaptation of hand grasped brushes and, more prevalently, have utilized mops.
Traditionally, mops constituted a bundle of loose rags or yarn bound together to the end of an elongate shaft or stick. Floor cleaning procedures with mops entailed the arduous application of a wet, preferably soap, detergent and/or disenfectant laden rag or yarn mop head to the floor surface accompanied by frequent rinsing and ringing of the rag or yarn mop head.
Development of mops having heads with cellulose sponge elements reduced efforts involved in floor cleaning by, among other things, providing a light weight and easy to rinse mop. Sponge mops have become the most popular floor cleansing apparatus used in household applications. Sponge mops included a mop head having an attachment plate for mounting and supporting a replaceable sponge element. In addition, a pivoted clamp plate was frequently employed to squeeze the sponge for rinsing. Other devices which have been utilized for compressing a sponge element on a mop head included various roller mechanisms, for example that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,488 as well as lever actuated folding attachment plates.
Although the introduction of sponge mops proved to be readily accepted, there were problems encountered in conjunction with the use of such devices. Unfortunately, the sponge elements were susceptible to wear due to contact with floor surfaces as well as repeated compression during rinsing. In addition, the remaining portion of the mop head, e.g. the attachment plate, was often formed of metal and contained hard, sharp edges which were prone to cause scratches, nicks, mars or other injury to furniture, cabinets and the like.
A notable further disadvantage of sponge mops was the fact that they invariably left streaks upon the floor surface. This factor also rendered them unsuitable for applying wax or polish.
Due to the relatively high coefficient of friction between the sponge element and the floor, especially when in contact with dry floors, excessive sponge wear resulted upon contact with a dry floor. When attempting to mop a spill, for example, one was required to start movement of the mop on the spill itself, rather than on a dry portion of the floor.
Due to these and other disadvantages, commercial and industrial mopping applications continued to rely upon yarn mops. Their use was preferred because such mops had a longer useful life, were not prone to injure fixtures or furniture, and did not result in the excessive streaking which accompanied the use of sponge mops.
Among the disadvantages of the cotton yarn mops which rendered them impractical for residential household use was their excessive weight as compared to that of sponge mops and the difficulty in rinsing the mop heads. Since it was almost impossible to wring a yarn mop by hand, a lever compressing apparatus was almost mandatory. Various lever actuated compression mechanisms were divised for attachment to a bucket for the purpose of squeezing the dirt laden liquid from yarn or rag mop heads in most industrial applications.
The need was present, therefore, to provide an improvement in sponge mops which would increase the life of the sponge element, alleviate the streaking which accompanied sponge mop usage, prevent injury to fixtures and furniture and facilitate usage in polishing applications.